Screen and security screen door repair

Why screen doors fail

Screen doors are light, so they take more abuse than the doors behind them. Kids push them open with a shoulder, dogs press through the bottom, and the sun bakes the mesh and the plastic parts until they turn brittle.

On a sliding screen the small rollers at each bottom corner wear flat or crack, and once they do the door drags on the track and pops off. On a swinging screen the closer weakens, the hinges loosen in soft wood, and the door slams or hangs open.

Sliding screen doors

Most sliding screens have adjustable rollers top and bottom. A screw on the edge of the frame raises or lowers each one. If the rollers spin freely, adjustment alone may fix a door that rattles or jumps the track.

If they are flat-spotted, cracked or seized, we replace them with rollers sized to your frame. We also clean the track, which collects sand, leaves and pet hair, and straighten a bent frame corner when it can be done without kinking the metal.

Some frames are simply worn out, with corners that have split or rails bent past saving. A new screen door cut to your opening is the better buy at that point, and we can order and fit one.

Swinging screen and security doors

Hinged screen doors sag when hinge screws strip out of the jamb. Longer screws or wood filler and new holes fix most of them.

We replace pneumatic closers that slam or do not close, add a wind chain on doors that catch the breeze, and adjust the latch so it catches without a hard pull. Steel security screen doors are heavy; their hinges and closers take more load, and we check that the frame is anchored well before adjusting anything.

Mesh choices

• Fiberglass: the usual choice. Flexible, does not dent, easy to replace.
• Aluminum: crisper and stiffer, but it dents and creases.
• Pet-resistant: a thicker coated mesh that stands up to claws far better than standard fiberglass.
• Solar or shade mesh: a tighter weave that cuts sun and glare on west-facing doors, at the cost of a little visibility.

Rescreening means pulling the old spline, laying new mesh, and rolling in fresh spline so the screen is taut without bowing the frame.

Afternoon sun in the valley

West-facing patio doors in the San Gabriel Valley take hard afternoon sun most of the year. Plastic rollers and spline age faster there, and standard mesh turns chalky and tears. When a screen on that side keeps failing, solar mesh and better rollers often last longer than a straight repeat of the old parts.

What to send us

A photo of the whole door, a close photo of a bottom corner, and the height and width of the screen frame let us bring the right rollers or mesh. If the door has a brand sticker on the edge or a name on the handle, a photo of that helps too.

Pet doors in screens

A small pet flap can be set into a screen door with a frame that clamps through the mesh. On a sliding screen, a stiffer pet-resistant mesh around the flap helps it hold up to pushing. Big dogs do better with a door insert on the glass slider instead.

Track care between visits

Sweep the screen track when you sweep the patio. Sand and leaves are the main reason rollers grind down. A little silicone spray on the track, never oil, keeps things moving. Check the roller screws once a year; a quarter turn often fixes a new rattle.

Retractable screens

Retractable screens roll into a housing at the side of the door and disappear when not in use. They suit French doors and openings where a swinging screen gets in the way. They need a flat, square opening to work smoothly, so we measure before you order one. The housing and the track on the floor need occasional cleaning, and the mesh can be replaced if it tears.

Matching the look

Screen door frames come in white, bronze and a few other colors. We try to match the window frames so the back of the house looks consistent.

Rental turnovers

Landlords often find torn screens and sagging screen doors at move-out. We can rescreen and adjust every screen door and window screen in a unit in one visit, so the place is ready for the next tenant to open the windows on day one.

When to replace instead

If the frame corners are cracked, the rails are kinked, or parts for that brand are no longer made, a new door is usually the better buy. We give you both prices so you can choose.

Photos help

A close photo of the roller and the door edge tells us the part before we arrive.

Common parts on hand

We carry common rollers, closers and mesh. How long a repair takes depends on the job; we’ll tell you after seeing photos. Custom-size doors take a second trip.